Non-medical Use of Pharmaceuticals
Non-medical use of pharmaceuticals refers to the use of prescribed or over the counter medicine for non-therapeutic reasons or in a way other than prescribed by a health professional. So, for example, if a person takes 4 rather than the prescribed 2 tablets per dose, or if they wash their prescription medication down with a few beers, they are misusing medicine. It is an ongoing concern around the world, and indeed, here in Australia.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing data from 2019 shows:
1 in 25 Australians aged 14 years and over reported non-medical use of a pharmaceutical in the past 12 months
1 in 9 Australians aged 14 years and over reported having used a pharmaceutical for non-medical purposes in their lifetime
While, 1 in 5 in Australians used pharmaceutical drugs daily or weekly for non-medical purposes
The most common pharmaceuticals used for non-medical reasons are pain killers (primarily the opioid drug class that includes drugs such as oxycodone and codeine). The second most common being sedatives (primarily the benzodiazepine drug class that includes drugs such as diazepam and temazepam).
People misuse these medicines for a range of reasons, including to relax, to get high, to relieve emotional distress, to self-medicate illness or injury or to improve performance.
Interestingly, the research also shows that people who use pharmaceutical drugs for non-medical purposes tend to be older (with a median age of 40.7 years) than people who use illicit drugs (median age 30.7 years).
At the workplace, misuse of medicines represents a serious safety risk. In managing this risk, the best place to start is with education. DASA can help with this. Our Safe Use of Medicines fact sheet was developed in-house by Associate Professor David Allen and pharmacologist Judith Griffin. It highlights the dangers of “going off script” and provides practical tips on how to be safe when using medications. To secure a copy, send an email to: info@dasa.net.au
DASA (Drug and Alcohol Solutions Australia) is proud to be leading the way in workplace drug and alcohol services throughout Australia. Whether your need is for workplace drug testing and workplace alcohol testing, advice on drug and alcohol policy or ideas on how to communicate your workplace expectations, policies and procedures to your staff, DASA can help. We have the experience, technical expertise and people to lead you to the right solution.
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